2nd Armoured Brigade (Poland)
2nd (Warsaw) Armoured Brigade (Polish: 2 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna) was a unit of the Polish Armed Forces in the West that existed from 1942 to 1945. From 1945 to 1947 it was redesignated as the 2nd Warsaw Armoured Division. (Polish: 2 Warszawska Brygada Pancerna) The unit was the armoured wing of the 2nd (Polish) Corps. Headquarters General officer commanding: Brig. General Gustaw Paszkiewicz then Brig. General Bronisław Rakowski. Following the upgrade to Division, Rakowski became GOC 2nd Warsaw Armoured Division. Colonel Ziemowit Grabowski became CO 2 Armoured Brigade. 1945 Upgrade to Division In 1945 the Brigade was upgraded to Division strength and it stood as follows: *Polish 2nd Warsaw Armoured Division. CO: Brig.Gen. Bronisław Rakowski **Carpathian Uhlan/Lancer Regiment (Divisional Recce) **2nd Warsaw Armoured Brigade ***4th 'Scorpion' Armoured Regiment ***1st Krechowiecki Uhlan Regiment ***6th 'Children of Lwów' Armoured Regiment ***2nd Motorised Independent Polish Commando Company **'16th Pomorska Infantry Brigade''' ***64th Pomorski Infantry Battalion ***66th Pomorski Infantry Battalion ***66th Pomorski Infantry Battalion ****16th Pomorski Support Company **Other Divisional Units ***HQ Division Artillery ***7th Horse Artillery Regiment ***16th Pomorski Light Artillery Regiment ***2nd Anti-tank Regiment ***2nd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment ***2nd Warszawski Signals Battalion ***2nd Warszawski Engineer Battalion ****9th Forward Tank Replacement Squadron ****9th Supply Company ****19th Supply Company ****28th Supply Company ****9th Workshop Company ****16th Workshop Company ****2nd Armoured Division Military Police (Provost) Company *****9th Field Court *****343 Anti-malaria Section Tank names and markings Tanks in the 2nd Armoured Brigade (and later Division) were all named, the names being painted in the squadron colours. The turret also had a diamond, triangle, square or circle painted to show squadron number. *Stencilled versions of the regimental badges featured on the tank turrets; either separately or inside the squadron signs: a scorpion for the 4th Regiment, a lion for the 6th Regiment and two palm trees and a crescent moon for the Carpathian Lancers. The exception to this were the Krechowiecki Lancers who used a horse head symbol. *Some of the name were replicated and the version was indicated by a Roman numeral so, for example, there was a Rekord I, Rekord II and a Rekord III. 2nd Armoured Brigade HQ Platoon Tank names: Quizil-Ribat Hill-69 Quassasin Rossario MTE-Cassino Taza-Khurmatli 4th “Scorpion” Armoured Regiment HQ Squadron Il-Vicinato Monte-Cassino Gustaw Gdynia Gdansk Grochow Gardziel Gryf Gron Grodna 1st Squadron Mass Albaneta Tobruk Taifun Turnia Trzyniec Tempo Tygrys Taran Tur Terror Tempo Ter Topor Tuchola Tyran Tranto Tapir Taras Tarzan Tomahawk Torun Turon Tczew Toniek Taranto Tyran 2nd Squadron Poganin Pirat Powab Pawian Piesc Pigmej Pazur Piorun Przeboj Pantera Perkun Parada Perla Pomsta Puma Piesc Paluszek Paluch Pajac Pudel Plomien Paf Puchacz Puhar Poleszuk Perkun Pat Plomien Portos Paz Pegaz Potwor Pif Pogon Phantom Ridge Potor 3rd Squadron Szatan Sztorm Sirocco Sultan Szach Stryj Sanok Styr Smyk Sum Sajdak Salamandra Slon Smok Saracen Sarmata Satyr Sroka Sintria Sep Solec San 1st Krechowiecki Lancers Regiment HQ Squadron Krechowiak Koziatyn Komarow Krokodyl Korosten Krylow 1st Squadron Burza Bizon Brawura Brat Buzenko Bestja Bystry Bohun Brytan Bekas Blyskawica Bobr Bajka Buzdygan Basn Bawol Boa Bolko Boruta Bromka Brutal Busola Babinicz Ballada Baska Bat Beduin Birkut Biruta Bohdanka Bozenka Brzask Biruta Bor 2nd Squadron Rozmach Rycerz Raider Rowne Renifer Rejtan Radom Rozbojnik Rys Rak Ryba Rekin Rey Rekord Raszyn Rebacz Rozeta Romek Raid Reymont Rumak 3rd Squadron Zwyciezca Zboj Zadzior Zadlo Zemsta Znicz Zadymka Zawisza Zagloba Zyrafa Zamiec Zamosc Zbyk Zyw Zagonczyk Zerwikaptur Zryw Zubr Zuch Zwierz Zbik 6th “Children of Lwów” Armoured Regiment HQ Squadron Lwow Lech Lot Lucy 1st Squadron Wola Wielki-walc Wicher Wilczur Wilk Westerplatte Wielun Wloczega Wladek Wacek 2nd Squadron Jez Joasia Juno Jowisz Jontek Jarzabek Jadzia Jaguar Janosik Jaskolka Jaszczur Jastrzab 3rd Squadron Mur Maczuga Msciciel Mars Morus Merkury Magnat Majcher Miecz Mikrus Mlot Mocarz Markiza Carpathian Lancers Regiment HQ Squadron Tobruk Acroma Cassino 1st Squadron Grunwald Marsa-matruh Cairo Museirat 2nd Squadron Grom Wir Potop Zamiec Huragan El-adem Hamsin Mex 3rd Squadron Pomorzanin Kaniowczyk Krechowiak Rokitnianczyk Poznaniak Category:Armoured brigades of Poland Category:Military units and formations established in 1945